Demography Lab Report Sample

Demography Lab Report Paper Patterns of survival vary depending upon the environment. Age is also an important component for many populations because fecundity and survivorship frequently vary with age. Humans are one species whose fecundity and survivorship are affected by age and the environment. One way that biologists attempt to distinguish patterns in survivorship rates is to use a life tables. Life tables permit them to keep track of how long different parts of the population have lived. A life table can also be used to predict the probability of the survival of an individual at any given time interval (Biological Science). A cemetery is an excellent place to study human demography. Gravestones are marked with the date of birth and date of death of a deceased person. From this information one can calculate death rates and draw survivorship curves for the population. A survivorship curve is a graphical representation of the chance that an individual will survive from birth to any age (Biological Science). By comparing and contrasting survivorship curves for different time periods, one may look for historical trends in demography over a period of time. Methods We assumed that all the individuals had similar living situations. According to the data, more individuals died between the ages of 55-65 Based on the demographic data from this lab, multiple conclusions may be drawn. Living conditions were probably far worse in the past. This causes death and birth rates to go down because of disease. Which causes the population size to decrease. There might have also been diseases affecting older people, which could explain why that range of ages had the most individuals dying at that age. We will write a custom essay sample on Demography Lab Report specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Demography Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Demography Lab Report specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer

The History of International Business Taxation and the Effect of International Tax Competition The WritePass Journal

The History of International Business Taxation and the Effect of International Tax Competition Abstract: The History of International Business Taxation and the Effect of International Tax Competition Abstract: Introduction:References:Related Abstract: With the globalization of world economy, international business taxation plays a vital role in international trading. This essay introduces the history and the development of international business taxation in aspects of tax reform and the changes in corporate income tax briefly, meanwhile, analysis the negative and positive effect of international tax competition. Key Words: history of international business taxation, international tax competition Introduction: This essay is aim to present the history of international business taxation and the tax reform in the past few decades and discuss the effect of international tax competition. In the first paragraph, we will introduce the history of international taxation from the World War I to recent years. The tax reform in the last two decades of EU and G7 countries also be indicate in this paragraph. As the development of international economy and business taxation, countries compete with each other in order to attract foreign investment. In paragraph two, we will introduce the international tax competition and present some empirical evidences of international tax competition. However, the effect of international tax competition has been debated fierce in recent years. In paragraph three, the negative effect of international tax competition will be discussed and the positive effect will be discussed in the following paragraph. James (1998) states that taxation is â€Å"A compulsory levy made by public authorities for which nothing is received directly in return†. It is necessary to review the international trade before we discuss the international taxation. International trade can be date back to over two thousand years which stated by Liu (1998, p.xiii) traders from Mesopotamia, Greece and Phoenicia made themselves very rich by engaging in Mediterranean trade. The international trade grows with the development of international economy. The first Bilateral Tax Agreement was signed between Belgium and France in 1843 when the international business taxation is still in an embryonic stage. Nevertheless, the international taxation system has been actually recognized since the World War I which plays a significant role in international finance, trading, and investment. At the beginning, international trade has been taxed trough indirect ways. The international business tax has been derived from customs d uties when the goods and services imported from abroad. After the World War â… ¡, the international business taxation system has been increasingly liberalized which the basic principles of international tax agreements have been laid out and spread quickly. The means of international trade taxed have been changed with a related increasing in direct sources. The whole taxation system were developed around how business profit being taxed. With the rapid growth of international economy, issues arose from the conflicts between jurisdictional rights to tax. Jurisdictions care about where the cost and revenue were generated and will be expensed. The profits and returns were taxed in forms of direct tax in the country which permanent establishment can be found or simply in forms of withholding tax.   Double taxation becomes the central problem of international taxation. Tax treaties have been emerged in order to reduce the bad effects of double taxation, enable tax neutrality, to avoid double tax and facilitate the international trade and investment. It provides the possibility to visit and invest overseas without paying large amount of tax.   The OECD, USA and UN have produced model treaties after the World War â… ¡. The commentary and OECD treaty being always updated which has been treated as a starting point for negotiation. The treaties defined and allocated the rights of countries to tax. Generally speaking, the returns on overseas investment should be taxed by residence principle whereas the business profits of companies are taxed by source principle. This compromise concealed the conflicts between countries which were mainly capital-exporters and capital-importers. While the international tax agreements are useful and practical tool to resolve the jurisdictional rights between countries to tax income created by multinational companies, it is necessary to require continual renegotiation between countries as a result of countries compete with each other to attract foreign investment. Tax reform especially the corporate income tax in industry countries has been considered from the 1980s. The average statutory rates have been decreased from 48% to 35% from the beginning of the 1980s to 2001. The corporate tax rate has been declined over this period except Spain and Italy. In 1992, the EU appointed that the minimum statutory corporation tax rate has been proposed to 30% which is at the bottom of that time except the Ireland. At the end of 1990s, nearly half of the EU countries’ statutory corporation tax rates were at or below 30%. For instance, the main corporate tax rate in the UK was below 30% all the time over the past few years. According to the tax reform in the EU and G7 countries, the tax reform movements are almost universal such as lower tax rate and broaden tax base in order to attract new foreign investment. To some extent, the universal tax reform movement of reduce the tax rate may indicates the signal of a process of international tax competition. In this tax competition world, the tax rates are not set absolutely freedom as it is necessary for countries to pay attention to what their rivals have been doing. Different tax jurisdictions use their tax system to compete with each other thereby attracting foreign investments. There are two kinds of foreign investments in broadly; they are portfolio investment and foreign direct investments respectively. The portfolio investments do not involve running a business which including bank deposits, company shares holdings, government securities holdings, bond holdings and so on. On the other hand, the foreign direct investment involves found the business such as subsidiaries and branches in another countries. In this essay, we focus on the tax competition based on the foreign direct investment. There are a number of forms of tax competition whi ch the most common one is the lower tax rate. In addition, the tax-free zones, tax holidays, reduction or elimination of withholding taxes, particular investment allowance, and accelerated depreciation deductions for foreign investors are common forms of tax competition as well. There are some empirical evidences of tax competition of the last two decades. The figures 1 demonstrate there is a steady decrease of corporate tax rates in the EU from 1995 to 2006 and the figure 2 indicates the evolution of corporate tax rates for OECD and EU from 1995 to 2007. If we confirm the international tax competition accompany with the corporate rates reduction, the evolution of the EU tax systems in the last two decades is a perfect instance of international tax competition between each tax jurisdictions. Tax rates have significantly decreased as a consequence of international tax competition. Specifically, the figure 2 shows the average tax rates have decreased by nearly 10% for EU15 from 1993 t o 2007 and declined to less than 20% in 2007 for EU 10. The entry of new members of the EU in 2005 may take more pressure on the international tax competition of the old EU. Figure 1: Statutory corporate tax rates in the EU from 1995 to 2006 Figure 2: The evolution of corporate tax rates in OECD and EU, 1995-2006 It is obvious that as the accelerating of the process of globalization, countries expand the tax competition for mobility of tax base and attract investment. But the issue arose from how does international tax competition works. On the one hand, from the literature review, there is no controversy about the harmful of international tax competition in the world. W. Oates (1972) states that â€Å"The result of tax competition may well be a tendency toward less than efficient levels of output of local services. In an attempt to keep taxes low to attract business investment, local officials may hold spending below those levels for which marginal benefits equal marginal costs, particularly for those programs that do not offer direct benefits to local business.† Consequently, the negative effect may obtain from the international tax competition on suboptimal level of public expenditure. Local governments may found themselves involved in a tax rate war which similar to the market pric e war so as to attract tax bases. There will be a loss of tax revenue and the earnings will be gone to multinational companies instead thus the government would be more difficult to supply public goods and service. Furthermore, the international tax competition might lead to an unfair tax system. In order to balance the financial resources, the shortfall in corporate tax as a result of tax rate reduction caused by international tax competition will be passed on to the property tax, consumption tax, income tax and other tax base with relatively weak mobility. In addition, the international tax competition provides the possibility for the transfer pricing and international tax avoidance. For instance, subsidiary A within a multinational company located in low tax regime supply goods and services to subsidiary B within a multinational company located in high tax regime for â€Å"high† price thus the profit of subsidiary A is higher and the opposite of subsidiary B. Therefore, th e net profit after tax within the group will be increased as a result of transfer pricing. In economic literature, competition to some degree seems to be a special value and meaning. Competition is the key variable of the market mechanism which can lead to improve the efficient allocation in public sector. However, it is opposite in tax domain, an inefficient allocation might occur when there is an international tax competition between countries. Different tax jurisdictions tend to attract tax bases through the mobility of consumers and corporate. Tax bases will be reallocated among countries as a result of this mobility. Multinational companies will endeavor to exploit the possible tax arbitrage by transfer into the more beneficial regions. The gain of the tax base by one jurisdiction comes from the loss of another. Hence, tax externality between countries would be caused by the mobility. On the other hand, there is another voice for support the tax competition. Other things being equal, the country who takes part in international tax competition will attract more cash flows thereby promoting the development of the country’s economy.   The case of Ireland provides an excellent instance of benefit from international tax competition even if this particular regime expired at the end of 2005. There are a number of benefits can be obtained by shareholders through the using of Irish financial service centre companies such as 200% deduction for rental expenditure, 100% reduction for equipment or refurbishment in relation to buildings, 10% tax rate and exemption from stamp duty. Ireland has been highly successful in tax competition and attracts a large number of financial service companies to run business in Dublin which has overtaken Luxembourg as the EU’s leading jurisdiction for cross-border life assurance. Furthermore, the value of investment fund assets h as been grown faster than other countries especially in hedge funds which facilitate the stock market to manage the funds established outside the EU. Ireland has become a significant cross-border services financial market. Besides, in general, high tax rates, unfair taxation and non-standard tax system will affect the taxpayers decision-making behavior and resulting in unnecessary loss, damage the tax neutrality. However, international tax competition will lead countries to reduce their tax rates and broaden the tax base, thereby reducing the distorting effects of tax in economy and conducive to implementing the principle of tax neutrality. Summary: Since the World War I the international taxation system has been recognized and afterwards the tax competition has been emerge with the development of international economy and tax system. Countries compete with each other to attract foreign investment. Even though the limit harmful of international tax competition is undisputed, we cannot neglect its positive effect. References: Bernauer, T. and Styrsky, V. (2004) Adjustment or Voice? Corporate Responses to International Tax Competition. European Journal of International Relations, 10 (1): 61-94. Devereux, M.P., Griffith, R. and Klemm, A. (2002) Corporate income tax reforms and international tax competition. Economic Policy, 17 (35): 450-495. Edgar, T. (2003) Corporate Income Tax Coordination as a Response to International Tax Competition and International Tax Arbitrage. Canadian Tax Journal, 51 (3): 1079-1158. Ferrett, B. and Wooton, I. (2010) Competing for a duopoly: international trade and tax competition. Canadian Journal of Economics, 43 (3): 776-794. Gravelle, J.G. (1986) International Tax Competition: does it make a Difference for Tax Policy? National Tax Journal, 39 (3): 375-384. Ida, T. (2006) International Tax Competition and Double Taxation. Review of Urban Regional Development Studies, 18 (3): 192-208. Lymer, A. and Hasseldine, J. (2002) The international taxation system. Boston, Mass. ; London: Kluwer Academic Publishers. Enrico Buglione (2010) Tax Competition and Fiscal Federalism in Italy. OECD Conference on Tax Competition Between Sun-central Governments Bern, 31 May- 1 June 2010 Available at: oecd.org/dataoecd/46/17/45470565.pdf Oates, Wallace E. (1972) Fiscal Federalism, New York, Harcourt Brace. oecd.org/dataoecd/33/0/1904176.pdf

Who Were the Two Key Figures in Philosophy at the Turn of the Century Research Paper

Who Were the Two Key Figures in Philosophy at the Turn of the Century - Research Paper Example Alison Wylie is a philosopher of science that dealt with evidential reasoning including various ideas of objectivity while attending to vagaries of a specific inference from limited data. Wylie has made a great contribution to how archeologist will be able to establish knowledge claims regarding social and cultural pasts having a radical and incomplete information base. Through his philosophies, there are ways in which ideas and objectivities can be defended while recognizing explicit partisan interest should not be biased, instead play an important role in inquiries. Roberto Torretti made a great contribution to the philosophy of Immanuel Kent relating to Geometry and Elparaiso del cantor, although much of the work did by Torreti dealt with mathematics and physics. The most recent work he did focus majorly on relativity theory and geometry of the 19th century; in addition, he wrote a comprehensive dictionary on logic as well as the philosophy of science Jesus Mosterin (Boersema) Dav id Charles Stove is a professor who made scathing attacks on issues like Popperian falsification, postmodernism, Marxism and feminism. The stove is a known defender of inductive skepticism and he was able to write various articles for magazines that were non-philosophical. One of his arguments regarding inductive skepticism is that it was fallacious and harmful and it causes modern nervousness, he also criticized biology of evolution stating that it was not as radical as it should be, especially the distortion view of human beings that is proposed by Ultra-Darwinists. Moreover, he also argued about altruism stating the altruism has given some contributions to the growth of cynicism and selfishness among human beings. Charles Darwin is a philosopher who established the theory of evolution in 1859; moreover, like many other philosophers, he also had a tremendous impact concerning the philosophy of America. Though he was not known many outside academics, two thinkers came up and wrote along with his lines of philosophy. The two thinkers are John Fiske (1842-1901) and Chauncey Wright (1830-1875), they both insisted on the importance of understanding morality and consciousness in conjunction to their evolutionary development; therefore, their way of thinking became more liked in the twentieth century. In addition, other 19th century philosophers include the three philosophers who are known as classical pragmatists, of the three Peirce Charles came up with the term â€Å"pragmatism†, the logic of relations and the studying of signs in the 1870s. Despite this, Peirce who is also known to be a mathematician, as well as a scientist, wrote about the importance of philosophy as well as the value theory. James William is another philosopher who did more work than Peirce did; moreover, he popularized pragmatism as a theory that stood for truth and resolved disputes in his work. John Dewey, on the other hand, reached more audience as compared to Peirce and James beca use he was born many generations after them. Due to his work, he was a known reformer of education who participated in public forums as well as influencing democratic and education works.  

Psychology at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Psychology at Work - Essay Example rs of the team are often guided by a leader who provides the necessary information in terms of task divide and receives feedback on the work progress. Grewal (2011) added that the team members may share a common goal but it is not necessary that all of the members in a team should have the same roles and responsibilities. Hollenbeck et al (1995) pointed out that a team can be differentiated from a group of people or students in terms of their individual roles. A group of people may share same skills and qualities and they may not be interdependent to each other for meeting the common goal. A group is often formed without a leader, whereas a team needs a leader in order to ensure that the team members are following the right direction. In order for a team to be efficient and yield the desired result, the team working competencies are more important than the individual personality traits. Individual personalities of the team members may have different characteristics but the organizati on has to ensure whether or not those members can coexist harmoniously in a team. Then only the team as a whole can be able to yield higher productivity. The concept of emergent state identifies the team as a whole and addresses its evolution and improvement in a holistic manner. The most vital emergent states for team building are mutual trust, holistic team identity and confidence in team’s ability (Nancarrow et al, 2013) . Team building helps a firm to efficiently organize its work flow. A complicated task can be efficiently achieved by breaking it down to smaller activities and allocating them to different members of the team. This as a result leads to proper skill utilization of the team members and the managers are able to accomplish a particular task in less time. Thus team building is quite effective in managing a work (Sutton, 2014). Gottlieb (2007) mentioned that building an effective team allows the members to achieve the goal quickly and in a resource efficient way.

Medications in Nursing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words

Medications in Nursing - Essay Example 228). As a nondepolarizing agent, this drug causes skeletal muscle paralysis by blocking the myoneural junction, interfering acetylcholine’s bid for cholinergic receptor sites and then binding with the nicotinic cholinergic receptor at the postjunctional membrane (Stoelting and Miller, 2007). Unlike other depolarizing agents however, vecuronium does not have much agonist activity and has no depolarizing impact at the motor endplate (McEvoy, et.al., 2009). As a muscle relaxant, this drug acts first on the eyelids and the jaw, then acts on the limbs, the abdomen, and then the diaphragm and the intercostals (Bledsoe, Clayden, and Papa, 2005). Adverse reactions of the drug may include skeletal muscle weakness and prolonged respiratory insufficiency or apnea (NDH, 2006). The intubating dose of 0.1mg/kg is sufficient to create intubating conditions within 3 minutes with effects lasting up to 45 minutes (Kovacs and Law, 2008). Co-administration with antibiotics can enhance neuromuscu lar blockade, thereby also causing increased muscle relaxation and increasing the potency of the drug (NDH, 2006). Using the drug with opioid analgesics can also increase neuromuscular blockade, thereby also causing increased skeletal muscle relaxation. ... This drug also acts on the CNS to improve the vagal tone, thereby, slowing the conduction through the nodes and thereby ensuring antiarrhythmic effect (NDH, 2006). Digoxin has a significant role in reducing ventricular rate in supraventricular arrhythmias in atrial fibrillations; hence it is the better drug choice for Mr. Jian. It can however cause fatigue, muscle weakness, agitation, headache, anorexia, vomiting, and diarrhea (NDH, 2006). In relation to other drugs, co-administration with verapamil and quinidine can increase the blood digoxin levels and provoke atrioventricular block; administering it with diuretics can cause hypokalemia which can increase the risk of ventricular arrhythmias (Berger, 2010). This drug is not advised for those with hypersensitivity to digoxin, for those with digitalis-induced toxicity, ventricular fibrillation, or ventricular tachycardia (NDH, 2006). For the nurse, there are various nursing precautions which should be considered in the administration of digoxin. After administration of the drug, the nurse needs to monitor Mr. Jian’s pulse rate because extreme slowing of the pulse may indicate digitalis toxicity (NDH, 2006). The nurse also needs to monitor the patient’s potassium levels carefully and take appropriate action before hypokalemia occurs. Before the drug is administered, the nurse needs to take the apical-radial pulse for 1 minute. She then needs to notify the prescriber for any changes (any significant increase or decrease in pulse). If such increase of decrease is seen, the patient’s BP needs to be checked and for an ECG to be performed (NDH, 2006). Question 3: Flecainide and Dofetilide Flecainide is a Class Ic

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science

Contributions of Charles Darwin to Science Title: The contribution to science by a scientist of your choice. 3000 words This paper discusses the contribution to science made by the English scientist Charles Darwin, (1809-1882), author of The Origin of Species (1859), the originator of the Theory of Natural Selection or Evolution. It examines the manner in which the work of Darwin could be related into the existing science curriculum, considering his work as an exemplar of the scientific method. It also sets out to relate the scientific discoveries and principles involved to other aspects of the school curriculum, especially in the area of citizenship. The contentious nature of Darwin’s ‘discovery’ in his own time illustrates the fact that there is a common interest in the discipline: we are, in a sense, stakeholders in scientific facts and methods, since they help to determine the shape of our daily lives. As the House of Lords points out, ‘.this is not confined to scientists; it extends to those who make policy, whether public or commercial, on the basis of scientific opport unities and advice. Policy-makers will find it hard to win public support.on any issue with a science component, unless the publics attitudes and values are recognised, respected and weighed in the balance along with the scientific and other factors.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para 2.66). Despite its age, Darwin’s theory continues to be debated, and can inform us about the importance of observational skills and scientific integrity. It also provides precedents for the way science and society interact, which may be useful in our society. As the Royal Society observes, ‘It is thus not trust in science per se which is of concern but the speed of scientific and technological development, the uses to which science is put, and the ability of regulatory and institutional structures to keep pace with this change.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.13). Darwin’s work brought him notoriety, but also controversy and personal vitriol. (See illustrations). This is where the link between science and citizenship can be made. How does this contribution map to the science curriculum? As a 2002 Report by House of Lords acknowledges, ‘The foundations of an interest in science are laid at primary school, between the ages of 5 and 11.’ (House of Lords, para. 6.3) The principle benefit which could be obtained through the work of Darwin is a general accessibility, which would itself enable learners to engage with the curriculum. As Meadows points out, ‘Much of cognition and learning depends on identifying the relevant knowledge that the learner already has in existing memory so that this knowledge can be used as a starting point for learning what is new. Having no starting point†¦will hamper learning and reasoning†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ (Meadows, 2006: p.112). A variety of authorities and analysts have noted there that are continuing conceptual problems in the way learners, and the wider community engage with science. These are attributable to a variety of factors. Qualitative (i.e. phenomenological) research commissioned jointly by the DTI and the Well come Trust revealed public support for the idea that ‘Science makes our lives change too fast.’ (Wellcome Trust, 2000, p.23) Beyond this apparently simple picture there lay a more complex picture, with differentiated levels of understanding and interest claimed for different areas of science. Environmental concerns, health issues and medial discoveries held the greatest interest for 82-91 per cent of respondents, whilst new technology was considered more interesting by 74 per cent. Only 48 per cent of those questioned claimed that energy issues were the most significant for them. (Wellcome Trust 2000: p.21) The same research also discovered that it was possible to categorise respondents into different groups, determined by their interest in science, and the degree of trust they felt in science and scientists. Correspondingly, subjects characterised themselves as ‘confident believers’ at the end of the continuum most engaged with science, to ‘supporter s’ half way along the scale, right down to those who stated that science was ‘not for them’. (Wellcome 2000: pp.5-7) Correspondingly, there are several overlapping benefits which could be obtained through an expanded use of Darwin’s work. Firstly, an enhanced understanding of scientific method, secondly, an improved awareness of the operation of natural laws, and thirdly, the means by which research results are validated, interpreted and shared. The benefits of this could start to be felt even at the Primary phase, as Peacock et.al. argue, ‘Primary science is perhaps best regarded†¦as an intellectual, practical, creative and social endeavour which seeks to help children to better understand and make sense of the world in which they live†¦(and)†¦should involve children in thinking and working in particular ways in the pursuit of reliable knowledge.’ ( Peacock et al., 2007: p.1). It is in this way that a rigorous interpretation of the general principles established by Darwin might be very beneficial, in overturning and challenging pre-conceived ideas about identity and value, such as those often attributed to the so-called ‘hidden curriculum.’ As Bishop and Simpson point out, ‘The pressures of the hidden curriculum are also present with regard to structure. The children themselves can be very forceful in structuring science activities with preconceived social frameworks.’ (Bishop and Simpson, 1995: p.7). In thematic terms, Darwin’s work is thoroughly supportive of the Knowledge, Skills and Understanding element of the science curriculum, i.e. , Ideas and evidence in Science, Investigative Skills, and subsidiary disciplines such as planning and presenting evidence. By the time students reach Key Stage 3, these skills are being further developed under the headings of Practical and Enquiry Skills, Critical Understanding of Evidence, and Communication. In practical terms, principles developed from Darwin’s theory could be incorporated into the science curriculum as early as unit 1A, Ourselves, and then continued on through key Stage 2 in Life Processes and Living Things. Within the latter, it would be important to focus on sub-unit 4, Variation and Classification, and 5, Living Things in Their Environment, noting how living organisms vary and change according to their context. This theme could be carried on developmentally in the context of Key Stage Three, which incorporat es two highly relevant modules, Organisms, Behaviour and Health, and The Environment, Earth and Universe. Moving away from the formal curriculum, Darwin’s theory could help by developing the foundations of causal reasoning and also problem solving, contributing to a general improvement in science standards overall, across all units of study. How does the work of the scientist demonstrate the scientific method, or is it a counter example? From an educational and scientific perspective, Darwin’s work is interesting because it is based extensively on observation and deduction, rather than extensive or repeatable physical experimentation. Because of the enormous timescales involved in the evolutionary processes which preoccupied Darwin, it is in effect, impossible to prove, in absolute terms, whether the theory is correct or not. The theory still has its detractors, and direct opponents, who object to it on ideological or theological grounds. Despite this however, it has become a generally accepted scientific principle. Darwin’s work is therefore, in one sense, the purest expression of the scientific method, especially since it was formulated in a vacuum of worthwhile antecedents, and an atmosphere of considerable ideological opposition. The only possible way in which his work might be deemed a ‘counter example’ is the manner in which it ran directly contrary to much mainstream scientific think ing amongst his contemporaries. However, it definitely was a discovery made because of – rather than in spite of – scientific method. Essentially, what Darwin did was to propose an interpretation of events, extrapolated from a vast amount of biological and geological evidence: he then formulated a specific interpretation of causality which, in his analysis, had only one possible scientific outcome. It is this kind of observational model, based on causality, which can tap into the learner’s innate cognitive ability, even from the youngest age. As Meadows observes of children’s interpretative perception, ‘†¦By the beginning of school years, it follows basic causal principles, for example that causes precede effects rather than following effects, that they covary with their effects – the effect regularly and predictably appears after the cause and does not appear without it, and the cause and effect are close, or at least linked, in time and space.’. (Meadows, 2006: p.109) How can the work being discussed be used to address citizenship issues in schools? As Rose and Rose indicate, it has always been possible to take the view that, ‘science appears to advance in a more or less ordered manner, irrespective of the prevailing social environment in which it is performed.’ (Rose and Rose, 1970, p.241) The power of Darwin’s work lays in its ability to bridge the gap between science and the community, and it is here that his relevance to issues of citizenship may be found. Darwin’s contribution to science as mirrored to a great extent by the way his work reinforced other areas of academic, philosophical and social study: all of this makes it directly relevant to citizenship issues. As Wallace points out, ‘A reading of the Origin†¦make it difficult to assert that Darwin’s mind was ‘devoid’ of economic and philosophy. A more sustainable conclusion is that it was permeated by principles of political economy and philosophy in the form of a language which did not differentiate between the political and the biological.’ (Wallace 1995: p.11) In other words, Darwin’s work was implicitly bound up with the values of his host society: it is this which makes it an ideal link between science and citizenship. The only contrast is that we move from a Victorian context, to a present day one. This, it may be argued, has potential benefits for science, education, and society alike. As the Royal Society concluded with regard to the current science curriculum, ‘many students lacked enthusiasm for. the subject, and felt frustrated by a content-heavy curriculum which gave them little room to explore controversial and ethical issues that might interest them.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.21 ) Darwin’s work, it may be argued, is perfectly adapted to facilitate the latter: it is not remote, or obscure, and on certain levels it is highly accessible. The links between science and citizenship manifest themselves in various ways. Firstly, there is the whole issue of public understanding of, and trust in science. As Meadows points out, ‘†¦understanding cause builds up into what has been called a ‘naà ¯ve physics’, a coherent set of notions about how objects behave; if this gives rise to the formation and testing of hypotheses by observation and experiment, it becomes the basis for a physics which is scientific rather than naà ¯ve.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Darwin’s work teaches us that it is not only the observation of a phenomena, but the cultural capacity to assimilate its meaning, which is important. Scientific matters are not the discrete concern of the scientific community itself, but spill over into the political sphere and eventually concern us all. This is especially true when ethical issues become involved, as they increasingly tend to do in the biological and life-sciences, affecting everything from the air we breathe, the food we eat, the health treatment we can expect, and even the degree of control we might have in determining the health, gender, and character of our children. The important point here is that attitudes vary, from a profound mistrust, to an almost myopic faith in science. As the House of Lords observed, neither position is entirely valid, a situation it attributes sqaurely to schools. ‘In common parlance, scientific is almost synonymous with certain. This perception, which is probably picked up at school, is virtually true of much old and well-established scientific knowledge. In many of the areas of current concern, from climate change to cancer, it is however very wide of the mark.’ (House of Lords, 2000, para. 4.1) It is not the fallibility of science which is useful from a citizenship point of view, but rather the necessity of maintaining an open mind and capacity for objective debate. It is also important to remember that we all share a collective responsibility for the way that society is conducted, and the manner in which scientific affair are run on our behalf. Again, this is not a remote or academic debate, and at its most intense, can demonstrate the relevance of scientific method in our everyday lives. As the Royal Society points out, contemporary crises such as that created by BSE illustrates this. ‘ BSE highlighted profound concerns about the science advice process and the role of scientists and government officials, the effectiveness policy making and action within departments such as the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, the ability of Ministers to both gauge and communicate risk effectively, and fundamentally the relationship between science and politics.’ (Royal Society, 2004, p.17) If we take the Key Stage Three Citizenship curriculum as an example, the continued relevance of Darwin’s ideas becomes apparent. In the sphere of political, legal and human rights, we must take account of the DFES guidance that every child is A unique child.every child is a competent learner from birth who can be resilient, capable, confident and self assured. (DFES, 2007: p.5). The essence of Darwin’s thought is that all people are descended from the same ultimate source, and therefore equality before the law, and of political rights, is a prerequisite of an equitable society and civil polity. This in turn leads into the principles of democracy and the idea everyone should have a voice in determining the legislative conduct of government. The importance of maintaining freedom of speech and allowing a diversity of views are also essential to the principles of citizenship as enshrined in the curriculum. It is important to remember that, without these facilities, Darwin’s scientific ideas might never have received public attention. In Section 2, Key Processes, the KS3 Citizenship curriculum requires that learners ‘†¦engage with and reflect on different ideas, opinions, beliefs and values when exploring topical and controversial issues and problems.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). Darwin knew that publishing his ideas about evolution in Victorian society would draw fierce opposition from many quarters, because of its dissonance with biblical teachings about the Creation. This opposition was likely to be immovable and resistant to logic: As Hull points out, those ‘†¦who rejected evolutionary theory primarily for theological reasons†¦would not have been able to accept it even if all the evidence had been overwhelmingly in its favour – which it was not.’ (Hull 1974: p.450). Similarly, his right to debate his theories with opponents and critics fo rmed an important part of the way in which he fundamentally changed attitudes, way beyond the purely scientific sphere. As Darwin himself wrote of one of his counter-theorists, ‘He will be dead against me, as you prophesied†¦but he is generously civil to me personally. On his standard of proof, natural science would never progress, for without the making of theories I am convinced there would be no observation.’ (Hull 1974: p.229). As can be seen from this, it should be possible, in a tolerant and progressive society, to express and discuss opposed views in a reasonable way: the freedom to do this, and determination to protect such freedoms, are important tenets of contemporary citizenship. As the Key Stage Three citizenship curriculum puts it, responsible citizens should be able to ‘†¦communicate an argument, taking account of different viewpoints and drawing on what they have learnt through research, action and debate†¦justify their argument, givi ng reasons to try to persuade others to think again, change or support them.’ (QCA 2007: p.30). In contemporary UK society, responsible citizenship also requires us to understand diversity of cultures and identities, and that movement of people, either temporarily or permanently, is an intrinsic feature of our society and economy. This is fully reflected in the citizenship curriculum, which states that learners should recognise †¦the hanging nature of UK society, including the diversity of ideas, beliefs, cultures, identities, traditions, perspectives and values that are shared.’ (QCA 2007: p.33) Darwin’s theory of natural selection is supportive of such perspectives in a variety of ways. By teaching us that we all have common origins, his thinking undermines any ideas of intrinsic racial difference, or any barriers erected around such ideas. Since we all developed from the same biological source, there can be no justification for valuing any individual differently: in other words, concepts of ‘biological determinism’ are invalidated. Moreover, a ny attempt to do so can, by Darwin’s teaching, at once be revealed as arbitrary, subjective and unscientific. There are obvious cross-curricular links to be made here, both historically and in terms of contemporary societies, where such conditions still endure. Children are natural observers of the phenomenon around them, and Darwin’s ideas are profoundly supportive of this. Meadows points out that children ‘†¦appear to draw inferences about the causes of events they see, to discriminate between self-caused and other-caused movement, to categorize living things that are agents as different from inanimate objects.’ (Meadows, 2006: p.109). Being citizens also accrues us the responsibility to change things for the better: correspondingly, although we have rights in society, we have a duty to ensure that such rights are exercised responsibly, without impinging on the rights of others. Darwin’s theory also taught us that we are, as social actors, en tirely interdependent upon each other. Bibliography Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester. Anderson, R.D., (1992), Universities and Elites in Britain since 1800, MacMillan, Basingstoke. Bishop, A., and Simpson, R., (1995), Strategies for Structured Play in Science in the Nursery’, Primary Teaching Studies, Autumn, Vol.9, No.3, pp.5-8. Burgess, R.G., (1989), The Ethics of Educational Research, Falmer Press, Lewes. The Children’s Plan: Building Brighter Futures, (2007), Department for Children, Schools and Families. HMSO, London. DeFalco, J., ‘Trade-Offs, Risks and Regulations in Science and Technology: Implications for STS Education.’, in Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. DFES, (2007), Practice Guidance for the Early Years Foundation Stage: Setting the Standards for Learning, Development and Care for Children from Birth to Five, HMSO, London. House of Lords, (2000) ScienceandTechnology, 3rd Report, downloaded from http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/ld199900/ldselect/ldsctech/38/3801.htm Hull, D.L., (1974), Darwin and his Critics, Harvard University Press, Mass. Kamur, D.D., and Chubin, D.E., (eds), (2000), Science, Technologyand Society: A Sourcebook on Research and Practice, Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers, New York. Lenton and McNeil, (1991), ‘Primary school teachers understanding of the biological concepts in the National Curriculum’ Primary Teaching Studies, Oct., Vol.6, No.2, pp.196-203. Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes. Mauther, M., Birch, M., Jessop, J., and Miller, T., (2002), Ethics in Qualitative Research, London, Sage. Meadows, S., (2006), The Child as Thinker: The Development and Acquisition of Cognition in Childhood, Routledge, London. Pursell, C., (1994), White Heat, BBC Books, London. QCA, (2007), Citizenship: Programme of Study for Key Stage 3 and Attainment Target, QCA. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. The Royal Society, (2004) Excellence in Science: Science in Society, London. Rose, H., and Rose, S., (1970), Science and Society, Penguin, Harmandsworth. Scruton, R., (1982), A Dictionary of Political Thought, MacMillan, London. Science and the Public: A Review of Science Communication and Public Attitudes to Science in Britain, A Joint Report by the Office of Science and Technology and the Wellcome Trust, (2000), HMSO, London. Wakeford, T., and Walters, M., (eds) (1995) Science for the Earth: Can Science Make the World a Better Place? John Wiley and Sons,Chichester. Wallace, J., (1995) ‘Introduction: difficulty and defamiliarisation-language and process in the Origin of Species’, in Amigon, D., and Wallace, J., (1995), Charles Darwin’s the Origin of Species: new Interdisciplinary essays. : Manchester University Press, Manchester, pp.1-46. Winner, L., ‘Do Artefacts Have Politics’, in Mackenzie, D., and Wacjman,J., (eds), (1994), The Social Shaping of Technology: How the Refrigerator got its Hum, Open University Press, Milton Keynes.

The nature versus nurture debate Essay

The nature versus nurture debate was founded by Francis Galton in the 19th century. It basically states that all of your attributes are either hereditary or environmentally. There are many theories that have challenges the nature versus nurture theory. For example; some of the theories state that there are different kinds of attributes such as life experiences, how our parents raise us, what we are taught at school and our cultural backgrounds. It is obvious that we are born with some of our parents attributes, for example your parents may both have long legs that you inherited, but things like perhaps a love of poetry or your sexual preference weren’t inherited, and have influenced your personality from your surroundings. There are lots of identical twins separated at birth that reunite as adults to find they had been using the same brand of toothpaste or have named their dogs the same names. This proves the nature theory, proving that attributes are founded at birth. But other scientists are taking this further and into ethical questions such as â€Å"what if serial killers were born to commit their crimes?† The most current nature versus nurture debate is whether the â€Å"gay gene† exists or not. This would suggest that homosexuality is no more a choice than eye colour. There are also attributes that are a mixture of nature and nurture, such as: Personality: Nurture – often there are similarities and differences that come from your parents. Nature – Children develop personalities and lean towards certain behaviours such as shyness and anger. It sometimes cannot be explained because the parents sometimes don’t have these traits. Homosexuality: Nurture – It’s widely seen that it is a humans choice to be a homosexual, where as some people believe that it’s to do with someone’s upbringing. Nature – People believe that homosexuality is genetic, like your foot size or eye colour. The argument for this is the perspective that nature being responsible for the individual development in life. Intelligence: Nurture – This could be based on the childs educational background as well as how the individuals parents had raised them. Nature – Someones ability to achieve and someone who picks up on their parents level of intelligence and tries to match it. To conclude the nature versus nurture debate, It shows that the physical and mental aspects can be queried by an individual to show how a person can develop through their parents or nature. What’s most likely is that both nature and nurture play some role in how we all turn out. But no one really knows with certainty. The true answer as to which side tips the scale remains to be seen. How this affects Samora: Samora’s Early childhood- Physical – Samora would have inherited her average height and weight from her parents meaning that her parents must also be of average height and weight. This physical attribute is nature, and will affect Samora by making her less vulnerable to diseases like obesity and diet related issues. She had all the normal childhood diseases, meaning she was quite an average child. Mental – Samora’s development at this life stage would be brief. Her childhood is the most important part of her mental development as this is the time she would be nurtured to start moulding her personality. She is averagely intelligent, leaving school with a decent amount of A-C GCSE’s, and having good A level grades allowing her to go to university, This was nurtured in to her since she was a child as her parents must be clever as they both have quite well paid jobs, and her brother and sister do also. Emotional – At this age Samora would have become stubborn or angry when change occurred, as she doesn’t have full control over her emotions. As her early childhood progresses, she should have been nurtured to gain more control over her emotions and learn right from wrong. Social – At the beginning of Samora’s childhood she would have been the centre of attention, which her older siblings may not have liked. This could of affected her relationship with her siblings as the youngest child is always the most vulnerable to sibling jealousy. How nature/nurture affects early childhood – I believe that nature is obviously a very important part of a person’s early childhood, as  it is the attributes they are born with, and will live with for the rest of their lives. However, nurture plays an extremely important part in a person’s overall development. For example, if both of a person’s parents smoke, the person is more likely to smoke in the future, as they are nurtured in to believing that is the correct thing to do. Samora’s Adolescence- Physical – As Samora is of average height and weight, her physical attributes should develop averagely. For example, during adolescence Samora’s breast would start to develop, she would have started body hair, her weight should increase and she may develop acne. This is nature, as they are things that Samora can’t change. Samora started smoking at the age of 15, which is very young and could have shunted her full lung development. She also does dancing and netball, which would have helped her going through puberty, as she wouldn’t gain as much weight as she was active. Mental – This is where Samora decided her career. She is a qualified primary school teacher, which she would have had to of decided on when she started college. This could have been a stressful time for Samora as she had to decide the rest of her future at such a young age. She may have started smoking due to a false safety net, believing that bad things cant happen to her. For exampl e, she could have believed that she wouldn’t get addicted to cigarettes because she believed she was untouchable. Emotional – Adolescence is where you develop your identity, This could have been when Samora decided she was a lesbian. I believe that Samora wasn’t a troubled teenager as she isn’t addicted to drugs or alcohol, and she had good GCSE grades. This is due to the nurture of Samora. Social – It says that Samora is sociable meaning that she must have friends. During adolescence, teenagers may struggle making and maintaining friends as they will act out at anyone and everyone, This is nurture as you aren’t born with friends. How nature/nurture affects adolescence – Nature affects adolescence as they have to go through a lot of physical changes (puberty) which is a very important part of development. Nurture is also important as a person starts to develop their identity, and their surroundings could have an important influence on this.

Aaron Douglas’ “Crucifixion”

Aaron Douglas’ Crucifixion Throughout much of Modernism many artists were influenced and informed by the work of exotic regions throughout the world, more specifically Africa. African Art would influence much of the Modern Movements from the latter part of the Nineteenth and the beginning of the Twentieth Centuries. Much is said of the artists within the Harlem Renaissance, and how it directly reflects the influence of Africana upon their art. Often times, this work is neglected to be considered Modern if not in specialized selections of course throughout many of today's higher institutions of learning.However, thus being said, Aaron Douglas, often considered the pioneer of African American Modern Art, would bring this notion to the forefront of Modern Society. With Douglas’ â€Å"The Crucifixion,† illustrated in â€Å"God’s Trombones† in 1927, he would shatter all notions of work within the Harlem Renaissance as not being Modern, but more viably Mo dern than most work produced at this time. He would give tremendous validity to African American Art as Modern in any context by not only incorporating modernist concepts, but truly making social criticism about the plight of the African Americans and the struggles of becoming important.In Douglas’ â€Å"The Crucifixion,† he draws from Western academia and his African roots, not only to place his work among Modern fine art, but would make the Black voice a viable and acceptable as any other movement within Modern Art. It is important to point out the formal qualities of â€Å"The Crucifixion. † The piece is made of oil on canvas. However, with the delicate treatment and translucency of the paint it is not hard to imagining it watercolor or gouache. The color palette is limited and specific. The use of a very monochromatic purple tonal range sets the mood for the piece as a whole.Purple denotes a heavenly or royal handling of the subject matter. The use of purple within the Western canon, oftentimes symbolized the holy. With the piece aptly titled â€Å"The Crucifixion,† it is no wonder that Douglas is setting the scene of Gospel related subject matter. In addition to the aforementioned, â€Å"The Crucifixion† was originally illustrated in James Weldon Johnson’s book of poems, â€Å"God’s Trombones: Seven Negro Sermons in Verse† (Driskell, 110). However, with the subject matter and the painterly quality it is not hard to place them among fine art painting.For the vast majority of Douglas’ work, as with â€Å"The Crucifixion,† black history, religion, and myth provided the substantive sources for his stylized subjects (Driskell, 111). The composition is highly composed with a designer’s eye for detail and stylistic elements. Furthermore, the central figure of Jesus, which is washed-out, flattened white, surrounded by geometric forms and interpenetrating circular shapes, possibly signify ing a halo or representation of thereof, and also moves the composition outwardly from the central Jesus; hinting towards the modern use of interpenetrating lines that occurred within Cubism (Pinder, 107).Douglas layers Cubist design elements to create a highly fragmented, yet cohesive composition that reads more designed and symbolic through imagery. To add, the use of very directional/graphic arrows pointing upwards and outwardly, it is not hard to read this as something taking the importance away from the central Jesus figure to the overshadowing black man and to the heavens. Additionally one cannot begin to confront the issue of Modernity and Modern Art movements without mentioning the influence of African art objects on Modern Artists.One only has to look at Picasso and Braque to see the influence of African masks and twisted perspective as in Ancient Egyptian sculpture with â€Å"Les Demoiselles d'Avignon. † It is not hard to imagine Modern artists who implemented these sort of design elements into their work to be considered new and cutting edge. If one is to take that same mentality and apply it to any number of artists within the Harlem Renaissance, especially Douglas, then their use of African imagery must of set them worlds apart at the time.Who better understands this art, then those whose heritage is deeply involved with such art? Aaron Douglas understood this, and was able to draw upon African ideals concerning art and incorporate them into this specific piece. Additionally, the Jesus figure is overshadowed by a large darkened African man carrying the cross for Jesus: possibly marking the weight of the world on his shoulders and carrying the burden that one must go through society as African Americans.As Driskell said in Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America, â€Å"Jesus the savior is also Jesus the bearer of everyman’s burden, particularly the black man’s burden. † Of course, the large African American man carrying the cross represents that man. This may also represent the hardship of the black man at the beginning of the Twentieth century. As Kymberly Pinder suggests in her article, Our Father, God; our Brother, Christ; or are We Bastard Kin? : Images of Christ in African American Painting, â€Å"in the black under-standing of Christ and Christianity from the beginning.The analogy between Christ's persecution and the racial oppression of blacks past and present is essential within this piece. † Symbolically, Douglas is relying on the suggestion that Black is Christ-like to forward his artistic expression. Truthfully speaking, without these elements â€Å"The Crucifixion† would not carry the lofty message it elicits. Douglas paints in a hard-edged style that defined the figure, borrowing of course from the Synthetic Cubists (Driskell, 111). The figures themselves are angular and exaggerated borrowing from ancient Egyptian sculpture.This work exemplifies design with the way Dougl as plays with design motifs, such as arrows and interpenetrating geometric shapes, to give the composition a highly stylized and polished feel while still portraying the figure to produce a highly designed and spatially related composition (Driskell, 111). Any of the abovementioned would suffice in the consideration of Douglas’ â€Å"Crucifixion† as Modern. One only has to look to Cubism and German Expressionism to consider his work modern. His use of religious symbolism hints towards the same practice within German Expressionism.In addition, his use of very angular figures pointing to works by Otto Dix and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. Furthermore, with the concept of interpenetrating planes and geometry one only has to look to the work of Picasso and Braque to see that this has similarities with Synthetic Cubism. According to Susan Earle in Aaron Douglas: African American Artist, â€Å"in Modern art, Douglas saw the potential for abstracting two-dimensional form, eliminati ng surface detail, fracturing line, and using color harmonies, almost mirroring that of works by Synthetic Cubists (Earle, 107).Additionally, with Douglas’ use of agile line work and his economic usage of recognizable symbolic features, it is evident that Douglas borrows from Art Deco (Driskell, 129). However, he takes clear advantage of Art Nouveau and the movement it brought to the fine arts. Douglas incorporates this with the rhythm and movement of Harlem Renaissance music. Additionally, one could look towards the Futurists and their uproar and social commentary to inform Douglas’ crucifixion; albeit, â€Å"The Crucifixion† is not overcrowded with color and direct movement.However, his use of angular figural representations and his comment on the situation of African Americans makes a social commentary about the lives of African Americans. Bibliography Brigham, David R. â€Å"Bridging Identities: Dox Thrash as African American and Artist. † JSTOR. The University of Chicago Press, 1990. Web. 18 Nov. 2012. http://www. jstor. org/stable/3108983. Earle, Susan and Renee Ater. Aaron Douglas: African American Modernist. New Haven: Yale UP, 2007. Print. Driskell, David C. , David L. Lewis, and Deborah Willis. Harlem Renaissance: Art of Black America.New York: Studio Museum in Harlem, 1987. Print. Pinder, Kymberly N. â€Å"Our Father, God; Our Brother, Christ; or Are We Bastard Kin? : Images of Christ in African American Painting. † FLITE Database. Indiana State University, 1997. Web. 12 Nov. 2012. http://www. jstor. org. libcat. ferris. edu/stable/3042461. Thompson, Aubrey. â€Å"Great Plains Pragmatist: Aaron Douglas and the Art of Social Protest. † [email  protected] of Nebraska – Lincoln. University of Nebraska, 01 Nov. 2000. Web. 10 Nov. 2012. http://digitalcommons. unl. edu/greatplainsquarterly/314.

Common Wealth Economics for a Crowded Planet

Common Wealth Economics for a Crowded Planet The book â€Å"Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet† is written by Jeffrey Sachs, a famous economist from the Columbia University. His work is devoted to the economic problems of our planet and to the global issues in general. The author focuses on the existing threats for the global population in different spheres of life and presents various ways of improving the situation. In this book, both the environmental and human-caused problems are analyzed.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More According to the author, there is a number of problems which need to be solved in the nearest future. These are overpopulation, poverty, irrational use of natural resources, unhealthy economy, urbanization, environmental crisis, climate change, etc. Sachs illustrates every issue with many considerable examples; what is more, the author gives th e diachronic evaluation of the issues, which means comparison of the situation throughout the flow of time. The main point of the book is showing that all the mentioned problems were caused by humans. The author even mentions the HIPPO term, which stands for the consequences of human activities: Habitat destruction, Invasive species, Pollution, Population increase, and Over-harvesting. Sachs outlines marine fisheries and various species of animals as those most badly affected by humans and proves that the climate change is also a result of human activities. In addition, one of the most important problems outlined by Sachs is proper organization of the world economy and international policy, as far s that the gap between the developed countries and the countries of the third world is expanding gradually. All the statements are supported by numerous statistical data, which makes the author very convincing. Sachs presents a number of solutions for the problems he defined. Firstly, he o ffers four possible policies which can reduce the harm caused to the environment. Among them is taxing the companies which pollute air and water. Secondly, the author describes carbon capture and sequestration or using hybrid cars as a way of preventing the climate change. Thirdly, Sachs points to the need of economizing the water resources. Next, the author mentions lowering the total fertility as a method of halting the population growth. Finally, few phases are presented for countries to go through in order to improve the economical situation in the world. In my opinion, all the raised issues and set goals are very objective and important. The author proved to be very inventive while presenting his ideas about how to overcome the global problems in all the spheres of human life. I liked the idea of abiding the Geneva Convention and the Convention of Biological Diversity, which will help to save the environment with its various species.Advertising Looking for report on bus iness economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Another issue which is very important and is explained in details is overcoming the poverty traps. The author mentions the countries where the violent behavior and high crime level is caused by an extreme poverty. To fight such results, he offers public works projects, increase the number of educational establishments, increase the agriculture productivity etc. I think that these suggestions can and should be implemented in life and that they can serve as an instrument for developing both the healthy economy and healthy thinking of the nation. Besides the mentioned points, however, there are some ideas which seem to be either not realistic or not really helpful. For example, the general overpopulation of the Earth is caused mostly by the countries of the third world, where the demographic situation is uncontrolled by Government. Nowadays, however, many people in Europe, espec ially in developed countries like German prefer being sterilized to having children due to a set of reasons, such as career or dissatisfactory material state. That is why the idea of regulating the population growth seems to be irrational: while some countries indeed need this policy, others may need the reverse program to be implemented. Another issue which I found confusing is preventing the air pollution. Sachs mentions the mechanisms for collecting the carbon dioxide from smoke stacks or straight from the sky. In my point of view, this solution should be developed further, as the gathered substance also needs to be kept somewhere. So is there point in constructing the new buildings for keeping the carbon dioxide inside? In addition, what size should one of such buildings have to be able to keep even a daily amount of the substance produced by one factory? I think that this idea and its effectiveness are rather doubtful. Moreover, although the idea of global economy and cooperati on seems to be effective, Sachs did not take into consideration the fact that it still has to be governed by someone. Even if all the most powerful countries unite in order to help the poorer ones, they still would need a leader who would control their work. As a consequence, such policy can lead to international conflicts.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The book †Common Wealth: Economics for a Crowded Planet† by Sachs is an objective critical analysis of the current economical and social situation of the world. Unlike the other books related to the same issues, it is very global and complex. The author manages to cover all the burning issues of the modern world and stick to one fibula. What is more, Sachs doesn’t use any euphemisms to talk about the problems. Being extremely strict and confident, he sounds very convi ncing. This makes the book especially interesting for those who are eager to know the real economical and political situation of the world. All in all, Sachs does not only present a book on Economics, but also gives a detailed analysis of the existing world problems and tries to develop a plan for their solution.

The Woman who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin Essays

The Woman who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin Essays The Woman who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin Paper The Woman who Had Two Navels by Nick Joaquin Paper p> This novel by Joaquin is a literary assessment of the influence of the past to the time encompassing events in the Philippines after World War II, an examination of an assortment of legacy and heritage and the questions of how can an individual exercise free will and how to deal with the shock after experiencing epiphanic recognition. Main characters: Among the characters conjured by Joaquin are the Manolo Vidal and his family, Connie Escobar, Esteban and Concha Borromeo, Father Tony, Paco Texeira, and Doctor Monson, a former rebel hiding in Hong Kong to avoid postwar trials. Connie Escobar, the lead female character, was described by literary critic Epifanio San Juan as a sufferer of her mothers estrangement from a world where unconfident males take advantage of women by violating them or by venerating them. Connie is married to Macho Escobar, a man who had an affair with Connies mother, a past incident that serves as an umbilical cord or umbilicus, a remnant connected to her present and future because of her refusal to leave the issue in the ast. According to Epifanio San Juan, the character of Manolo Vidal is the embodiment of the Filipino nationalistic bourgeois who were once critical of the theocracy of the Spaniards but became transformed puppets and servants of these colonialists. While, on the other hand, Macho Escobar is not a revolutionary but a member of the dehumanized clan of hacenderos or landlords of sugar plantations. Paco Texeira was a survivor between the behaviors of the Monson and Vidal families, and also acted as Nick Joaquins conscience, an observer who could have enetrated the existing rituals and ruses. Texeira had the capacity to apprehend and break the class barrier depicted in the novels society, but refused to do so. STORY Nick Joaquins The Woman Who Had Two Navels revolved around the upper middle class expatriates consciousness during the American period of colonization. It portrayed every characters struggle to maintain their selves in a foreign setting like Hongkong. It can also be defined as coming to terms with the political consciousness during that period. The novel also contained mixtures of hatred, love, anger, nsecurities, and sufferings that manifest in the realities of life making the flow of the story more provocative and appealing to the audience. The title of the novel excited my curiosity; thats why it took me a long time to analyze and think the interpretations that I have to use to show its significance. The story started with Connie, a daughter of a wealthy politician. Connie portrayed herself as a person with two navels. Literally, when a woman has two navels, this means that she has two umbilical cords. The navel is the shortened umbilical cord usually removed when a person is orn. But it is not possible because if a person has two umbilical cords, he is a preternatural being a mutant. Connie, pretending that she has two navels may refer to the rebirths that she underwent. The first rebirth was escaping from her mothers evil clutches since she was an unwanted child always ostracized and continously suffered from the ghosts of the past that haunted her. Let us not also affair of her husband Macho and her mother that made her feel miserable at some points in her life. The second rebirth refers to her awakening, her self realization and mancipation as a woman. She learned to face reality and accepted the truth. In my point of view, her reason why she pretended to have two navels is that she wanted to forget everything about her, to be different so that another personality will reside and dwell on her. Looking from another perspective, in this case coming from a historical vantage point, the two navels may signify Hongkong and the Philippines. Even if the story was set in Hongkong, still, Filipino culture is present in its context. Furthermore as the novel progressed, it presented the Filipinos need to bond ogether and attempted to reestablish their roots; however musch as when they, as exemplified by Paco, were made unaware of the Filipino culture. The novel also portrayed an interlocution between Chinese and Filipino consciousness. An example of this was Rita who dresses up in dragons and pagan Jewels to meditate on the Virgin. The sense of nationalism and being Filipino was depicted in Connies character that made her symbolize the country. The fact that she was born in Hongkong, she still longed for her native land the Philippines. And like most of us Filipinos, she tried to laugh at every problem and pretended that everythings fine. This trait refuted the positive notion of being Filipino. In relation to the stories title, a lot of Connies exist in our present realm. Up to this time, it is obvious that some of our mother-daughter relationships fail. As individuals, we are afraid to admit the truth within ourselves. We usually deny the mistakes that we commit. We try to live a world of lies. We want to escape from our realities and always make excuses. Let us not forget that even if it is painful to face the truth, this will gradually help us in ccepting ourselves more and be better persons. Though we may encounter some unexpected instances, the fact that we resign ourselves to certainty and veracuty is more than enough. Joaquin presented the novel without the consistency of a normal narrative presenting the story in a non-linear manner and focused first on the present and unfolded the numerous settings as every character was introduced on several parts. It revolved around the concern of the little people and of the metanarratives that were expounded on as the story was completed.

Definitions of Freedom, Servitude and Slavery Change in Colonial Essay

Definitions of Freedom, Servitude and Slavery Change in Colonial America - Essay Example Over the years, however, the definitions of freedom and servitude changed, not for the better, but they grew to be a part of the daily life of the people of colonial America and the language and idiom that they use to convey their beliefs regarding the freedom of the marginalized and the subaltern make this very clear. The practice of assigning superiority to the white man was an intrinsic feature of the colonizer’s rhetoric. One may take the example of John Winthrop’s speech to the general court of 1645. Winthrop was a rich lawyer who settled in America and was one of the major settlers of the new colony. His speech talks of the hierarchies that were divinely ordained whereby even the wife of a white man was supposed to find â€Å"honor and freedom† in â€Å"her subjection to her husband’s authority† (Winthrop). Such convoluted notions of freedom were extended to other subaltern groups in the society which would then occupy various positions on the social ladder, thus justifying subjection in general and offering a justification for slavery and colonialism based on theories that were based on Christian ideologies that were not a part of the societies of the slaves or the indigenous residents of America. This fervor to foist one’s own ideologies and beliefs onto the cultural ‘other’ also finds expression in the cartography of the period. Captain John Smith’s map of Virginia is an excellent example of this tendency where a map of an Indian settlement is replete with symbols of British monarchy; thus seeking to subjugate the native tribes of the area even in one’s own mind, on the part of the colonizer (Captain). The situation of the people who arrived in America as indentured laborers was only slightly better than that of the black slaves. They were welcomed with diseases the like of which they had not seen before in their land. The lack of immunity to these diseases led to a great number of de aths, to which the authorities turned a blind eye. This reveals the shocking insensitivity to servants in the minds of those who held positions of power in colonial America. This can be understood from a letter written by an indentured laborer named Richard Frethorne, to his parents, in which he complains, I am not halfe a quarter so strong as I was in England, and all is for want of victualls, for I doe protest unto you, that I have eaten more in a day at home than I have allowed m here for a Weeke. (Richard) This makes clear the sheer inhumanity of the treatment that was meted out to indentured laborers and gives us an idea of how worse the treatment that the black slaves faced was. The treatment that the blacks faced however did undergo a change for the better. Attitudes that the colonizers held slowly started to change and the magnitude of the atrocities began to dawn upon some members of the colonizing nations. Alexander Falconbridge’s relatively sympathetic treatment of the narrative of the journey of the blacks to the slave markets is an instance that communicates to us the changing attitudes towards the inhuman treatment of slaves. There are several concessions that Falconbridge makes to the slave communities such as the occasion when they are forced to sing. Falconbridge accedes to the fact that â€Å"as may naturally be expected, melancholy lamentations of their exile from their native country†

Dropout in community colleges Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Dropout in community colleges - Essay Example These are the exact students that get underserved in the colleges beating the logic behind the purpose that these colleges were designed to accommodate as they also serve the interest of the local community. As these students come in and out of the higher education, it may be because of the conditions that surround their learning environment in the colleges. This paper seeks to validate that the vice of the college dropout exist and propose appropriate action to help cub the problem Managing school dropouts and completion become a very important entity that is very key to meeting the visions and missions of educating our children. It is of importance to spend most of the time to address the changing landscape of the higher education which may be as a result of the increased public demand and low public (Felgueroso, Florentino, Gutià ©rrez-domà ¨nech, and Sergi Jimà ©nez-martà ­n, 2014). College dropout in most cases has been associated and seen as evidence of failure resulting from the untapped human capital. But the fact remains that failure is one of the strengths and the drive of higher education system in the community colleges. A good school by definition should bring almost all the students to graduation as this will bring greater economic return and ensure that the mantle of the worlds most educated population is retained( Luke, Mphale, 2014). To achieve this the colleges should avoid high stake tests that consigns students to either to educated clas s or the working class, this kind of system is narrowly focused on the learning on testing that only promote students to memorize than to learn. When you get only one shot at the college level, you get motivated and work hard to get it right for example in the united states there are a lot of shots where there is nation to nation comparison of the lazy students to hardworking students to help